Well the category was 'useful' and I think they've both been useful.

Wigan didn't.

Teams worked out a counter attack to his set plays and he couldn't adapt. The games moved on and even the most structured NRL sides have a different set of set plays these days. A lot of Maguire's plays involved using the dummy runners whereas the new type of structures are using the lead man to receive the pass and giving it straight back to the half (Or whoever passed the ball) to negate the offside rulings which have ruined the game in recent years.

We will probably start to use it next year when the Aussies are adept to stopping it. Thats why we struggle so badly at international level to break them down. Our attacking play is a year or 2 behind their defensive structures

Oh dear the same old tactic of pass it left because Powell can't do anything has kicked in already.

All f/g

I’m the opposite view, I think if given the opportunity he has shown that he can be electric at full back and his speed and elusiveness can be a nightmare for defences.

I would have preferred Escare to have been given far more opportunities at full back this season.

Madge was effective...but it was the most boringly predicable rugby I'd ever saw from them, which carried on until 2014 before you could see SW stamp upon them, imo.
Good grief that Wembley hame of 2013, that was so hard to watch.

....following GF and CC wins from Wigan were more, well, Wigan like!

We lost some much in the CC v Wire when Escare went to FB. He doesn't have the passing, decision making or rugby brain to be anywhere close to Sam as a FB. A potential 7, but no FB for me.

Absolutely right. Souths players were quite dismayed by Madges hard edge and over training. They're raving (and playing well) under Seibold.

I have said this many times in the past but was always shot down by the many Madge worshipers on the Rugby sites, glad to see someone else thinking the same

Running a structure helps players confidence and is effective...however, within a couple of seasons the opposition will have come up to speed with a game plan to counter. Madge was fortunate he only hung around Wigan for that pinnacle period and moved on....his first mistake at Souths was he hung around there too long thinking he wouldn't get caught out.

I certainly find it hard to judge a lad fairly this season based on the odd twenty minutes at Scrum Half when he’s a fullback. It’s the same as I find it hard to criticise a hooker playing at scrum half.

The common denominator in all this is Sam Tomkins and Wanes unwillingness to play him anywhere other then fullback. He’s a more natural halfback then either Escare or Powell but doesn’t want to play there. I personally think it’s time for Josh Woods to be given a run at scrum half and then Powell and Escare can start fighting for games in their natural positions.

I don’t think Amos Roberts had the attributes you have mentioned but on pace alone he was a genuine threat at the back just like Escare can be if given the opportunity.

It’s also not like Sam has had some below par performances at full back this season and unlike Escare he rarely looks to beat the first man due to his loss of speed.

Yeah it just makes you wonder what was the thinking when we signed him if there was little intention to give him a fair shot at full back rather than how he is currently being used.

I have a draw full of stuff that I bought thinking that it may come in useful one day. So far it has all been a waste of money. Too many of our players are like that. They seem to have been signed because they were available rather than because we had a role for them. We really need the best that we can afford for each position and for the style that we intend to play. That cannot happen until we have a new coach. How can we go into the play offs with four good full backs and only one good centre? And yes, I think Sarginson is never a centre.